Understanding The Risks Of Buying A Puppy At A Pet Shop

There has long been a controversy over whether or not it is safe to purchase a puppy at a pet shop today. A huge part of this debate has been about some pet stores getting their puppies from illegal puppy mills, and whether these puppies will be healthy enough for sale. Puppy mills are not exactly known for their compassion about the puppies they breed, and their standards of health care are not exactly up to expected standards. Since their biggest customers have traditionally been the small shops and boutiques, there have been arguments both for and against purchasing any puppies there, because those that came from mills can be hard to identify on sight.

Unfortunately, the puppies found for sale at the average pet shop are not exactly helping their case. Their health has been questionable, and the incidence of sick puppies being purchased is quite high. The owners of these shops are not exactly holding up their part of the bargain, either, by refusing to hold up the liability for the condition of the puppies on their end. This has just given more credence to the idea that puppies should only be bought from qualified breeders, and that sales of animals at any shops should be closely examined, and outlawed if found to be lacking. While this will be good business for the breeders, the ones who will lose the most out of this debate will be the small shop owners, who simply cannot afford the liability insurance that may be required in the future.